FENTY Beauty: The EDII Standards that We Should All Aspire To Have
January 29, 2021 • Kirsten Miller
To begin, let's address a critical question — what is EDII? EDII stands for equity, diversity, inclusivity, and indigeneity, but it is so much more than that. EDII focuses on improving communities and workplaces so that they become more welcoming and thriving environments.
I like to look at EDII by thinking about Robert Ingersoll's quote, "We rise by lifting others." EDII is not about focusing on what a company can do to REDUCE exclusivity and bias. It is about what a company can do to EXCEL at lifting those who are so often oppressed in the workplace and working together to create something better than the current state.
One company has taken this idea and made considerable strides, setting benchmarks for the entire industry. This company is Fenty Beauty. When Fenty Beauty was launched in 2017, their original foundation had 40 different shades (now, 50). It may not seem like much now, but previous to the launch of Fenty, most beauty brands were not offering nearly enough options and focused primarily on caucasian skin tones. Fenty's team has been the leaders in making the change and have empowered other companies to follow in their footsteps.
However, it is not just the company's foundations that have helped them make strides and become known as one of the most influential and inclusive beauty brands. More importantly, it is their team's values that have allowed them to flourish. When the founder, Rihanna, set out to develop this company, her goals were “exclude no one, let values inform the process, and to show, not tell." She wanted to develop a company that every person could relate to, which was evident in their products and marketing. They strove to make their products accessible worldwide so that people from every culture could access the brand, and they did not have a western country-focused company. Lastly, she wanted the company to demonstrate inclusivity and diversity without having to explicitly state they were doing so.Their team said, "The best way to break through with inclusive marketing is to share authentic stories that are rooted in culture and are emotionally meaningful to the consumers you serve." These values are why their team is so incredible at demonstrating EDII and why they should be the standard other companies strive to achieve.
If more companies, no matter the industry they are in, strove for Fenty's level of determination and attention to detail when creating an inclusive brand and team, corporations would start to see the EVIDENT success that Fenty has seen since launching. For example, the company had over $100 million in sales during the first few weeks after their initial launch, and is predicted to have over $200 billion in sales, by 2025.
Once again, being successful at EDII will not work if a company tries to focus on the negatives or "ignore issues." TRUE success and equity in a team will only arise when the team learns to understand and appreciate differences and appreciate what a different perspective, culture, and upbringing can bring to the table.
Fenty may have been one of the first companies to understand and embrace this idea truly. Suppose others can learn from Fenty's Success and understand the immense value of a truly equitable, diverse, inclusive, and indigeneity company. In that case, they can help become the leaders that change the narrative and create a just society for all.
Our team at QNP hopes that we, too, can learn from Fenty and all the good they have created, and attempt to lift the members of our community, and help make these needed improvements.
How will you do the same?